A PV assembly usually comprises a front sheet, generally made from a transparent or semi-transparent material such as glass, a polymer, or like materials. When the front sheet is a glass layer, a frame is typically required, which can generally be made of aluminum. The frame and the glass layer are the biggest contributors to the weight of the PV module assemblies, which can make the assemblies generally heavy and expensive to produce. When a polymer is instead used as the collector material, the mechanical properties and/or the optical efficiency of the PV assembly can be decreased. For example, for forming the collector, the polymer poly(methyl methacrylate) is good for light transmission (i.e., high optical efficiency), but lacks sufficient mechanical properties. Polycarbonate has good mechanical properties for producing the flat sheet, but has a lower optical efficiency.
Accordingly, there is a need for PV module assemblies with one or more of increased production rates, reduced assembly times, and decreased weight, while maintaining the desired mechanical and/or electrical performance properties.